Angels Are Watching Over You
by Kay Skie
Summary: The words of his mother proved true, angels were always watching over Dean and Sam.
1. Age Four

"Angels are watching over you." Mary Winchester tells her oldest as she tucks him in. He looks up at her with sleepy green eyes full of innocence and smiles.

"Sammy too?" He asks curiously.

Mary smiles down at her four year-old with love in her eyes. "Yes, honey, Sammy too." she tells him.

Anna watches the family and feels a deep longing in her chest. She desperately wishes for this human thing, what is it?...Love...She can't work this assignment anymore or she may fall.


	2. The Fire

**The night of the fire**

Dean can feel the heat coming off their burning home. He looks up at his daddy as they watch their lives crumble to pieces.

"Daddy?" Dean asks as he holds onto Sammy. He's glad his baby brother is okay. Where's Mommy?

"What Dean?" John asks, his voice coming out harsher than he meant it to.

Dean hesitates and looks up at his dad, wondering why his voice was just so mean. "Where did the angels go? Mommy said they were watching us." Dean asks.

John shakes his head. "They aren't watching us." he says.

Dean's eyes fill with tears. Mommy lied. Where is she?

"Daddy?" he asks.

"What?" John asks, sounding frustrated.

"Where's Mommy? Why's she taking so long to come out of our house?"

"She's not coming back."

"But, isn't it hot in there? Won't she get burned?"

"She's dead."

"Like Grandpa?"

"Yes."

"Is she with him?"

"I don't know."

"Is she in Heaven?"

"I don't know."

"Why not?"

"I just don't Dean! Now will you stop asking all these questions?"

The four year old looks up at his dad with tears in his eyes and Sammy begins to cry. "Yes sir." Dean whispers before he begins to comfort the baby.

Castiel silently watches the situation and wishes he could make it better, but he's under strict orders to let this happen.

_I'm sorry Dean Winchester._ Castiel thinks.


	3. Age Five

The three Winchesters are in a small motel room. This is the third motel room they've been to since they started moving around. Dean doesn't get why his dad keeps making them move. He's already asked but his dad never gives the same answer. Dean has learned that's lying but he hasn't told his dad that he knows yet. He just waits until his dad decides to tell him the truth. He misses his mom and wishes angels were watching them because they would know what to do since he doesn't. Dean watches as his dad cleans out the guns and tries to get his mind off all his confusion.

"When will I get to shoot a gun?" Dean asks, looking up at the man with curious green eyes that have perhaps just a little less light than they did the previous year.

John looks from his son to the gun and hands it to Dean. It's not loaded so the adult doesn't find any harm in it. His son will have to learn soon enough anyway. Dean nearly drops it.

"Hey, watch it." John snaps, picking up the brown bottle on the table beside him.

Dean glances from the bottle to his dad and his eyes dim. His dad isn't very nice when he drinks that stuff. "Sorry sir." Dean says, gripping the gun better.

Sammy crawls in and makes funny baby sounds. Dean smiles but then dread grips his young form. Sammy isn't supposed to be out.

John looks at the infant and frowns. "Why isn't he in his pen?" John asks his eldest son.

"I don't know. I thought I locked it." Dean answers earnestly.

John gives his five year-old a stern look the small child feels he deserves. "You _thought_ you locked it? Why didn't you _know_ that you locked it? This could've been a life or death situation Dean; do you understand? Sammy could've crawled out and gotten himself killed because of your negligence! Do you hear me Dean?" John yells.

Dean stares at the floor and nods.

"Look at me and answer." John demands harshly.

"Yes sir. I'm sorry." Dean says, looking up at his dad as he tries to fight off tears.

"Men don't cry Dean." John snaps, snatching the gun out of his son's hands.

Dean nods and glares at the floor, trying to be a man like his dad and not cry.

"Put Sammy in his pen properly this time." John orders as he leaves the motel room, closing the door with a slam that seems to shake the whole building.

"Yes sir." Dean says through the lump in his throat.

Dean picks up his baby brother and puts him back in the pen. Dean locks the pen's door and checks twice before he sits on the ground across from it.

"I'm a man now Sammy. Did you know that?" Dean asks in a crackling voice.

Sammy looks up at Dean and smiles, not understanding what's going on, just happy that he's near his big brother. Tears begin trickling down Dean's cheeks.

"Crap." Dean says just like his dad does as he rubs at his cheeks. "Well, almost one." Dean corrects himself.

Sammy gurgles and rolls over, looking up at him with puppy dog hazel eyes. Despite himself, Dean smiles. Sammy looks just like a puppy. "I'll protect you Sammy. No matter what. Okay? I promise." Dean says.

Castiel watches the interaction, unable to understand how brothers can act in such a way. He has his angelic brothers but this is entirely different. The angel wonders what this must be like.


	4. Age Eight

**Three years later**

John forgets Dean's eighth birthday. He's forgotten nearly every birthday Dean has had for the past four years. The only one he remembered was Dean's fifth birthday and that was only because Dean reminded him. Dean never reminded John again because John yelled at him. This year John doesn't come home because he's at a bar but eight year-old Dean and four year-old Sammy don't know that. Dean knows what their dad does and he's terrified that his dad is dead because he was supposed to come home yesterday but he hasn't even called. Sammy thinks their dad is just stuck in really bad traffic-yes traffic-Sammy has this gift of knowledge that Dean cannot comprehend. Why would Sammy care what traffic is when he's only four? Then again, they've been caught in traffic more times than either child can count so Dean assumes that's where Sammy got the idea from.

"Dean?" Sammy asks as he looks up from the page he's coloring.

"Yeah Sammy?" Dean asks, already dreading the words. He knows what this is about and he's been trying to avoid the question all day.

"I'm hungry. Do we have any food?" Sammy asks.

Dean's eyes nearly well up right then and there. Do they have food? Sammy shouldn't have to ask _if _they have food. He should be trained to ask when dinner is or if he could have some food right now. Not _do_ they have food. So many of the kids at school throw their lunches away because they don't _want_ what their moms put in their lunch-boxes. Well, it must nice to be one of them. It must be nice to have so much food constantly available to you that you decide you won't eat something just because you don't like it.

Dean cuts the train of thought off there because if he continues with it he'll start remembering his mom and he may break in front of Sammy which won't do. Sammy needs him to be strong. Dean wonders if there's anything in the pantry or fridge for dinner. The eight year-old scoots off the chair and walks over to the kitchen. After scouring the cupboard, he finds one can of ravioli left. Just enough for Sammy. He heats the food up, all the while ignoring the growl of his own empty stomach and puts it in a bowl. Then he grabs a spoon and puts the food in front of his brother.

"There you go kiddo." Dean tells Sammy, ruffling the kid's hair.

Sammy digs in but pauses in the middle of his second bite. The four year-old stares at his brother with big confused hazel eyes.

"Where's your food Dean?" Sammy asks.

"I'm not hungry. You eat up okay?" Dean says with a smile.

"You wanna share?" Sammy asks.

"No thanks; now eat before it gets cold." Dean tells the younger boy.

Sammy catches on much faster than he should at his age and frowns, pushing the bowl away. "I'm not eating unless you're eating." Sammy states.

Dean takes the spoon and takes the smallest piece of ravioli he can find. "Happy now?" Dean asks as he pops it into his mouth.

Sammy nods and hops out of his chair. He scurries to the kitchen and presents Dean with a spoon.

"Now we can share!" Sammy announces happily.

"Thanks buddy." Dean says, pretending to go along when really he only takes two small bites.

Anna stands beside Castiel.

"Why does the oldest do that to himself?" Castiel asks as confusion pulses from his being.

"He wants his brother to be okay so he puts him before himself in everything. We can learn lessons from this human." Anna answers.

Uriel scoffs at this. "He's still starving himself."

"What would you do in his place? Both of you answer." Anna asks.

"I would divide it evenly amongst the two." Castiel answers.

"I would take it for myself. The strongest will live the longest." Uriel replies.

"You can both learn from this boy. He sacrifices so much for the well-being of his baby brother." Anna says.

Castiel nods. Perhaps in a way this young human _does_ have the right idea. Maybe Castiel _could_ learn from him.


	5. Age Eleven

Sammy's eyes well up with tears as Dean puts a bandage on the seven year-old's knee. He wonders why Dean's doing this. Why can't Daddy? Why is his brother doing stuff that parents are supposed to do? Sammy knows that parents do this stuff because he's seen it on the TV. Kids on TV have mommies and dads. Why don't he and Dean have a mommy? Why can't their daddy stay with them? Why does he always go away? Is he visiting their mommy? Does she not like them?

"There you go Sammy. Your war-wound is all better." Eleven year-old Dean states with utmost certainty.

"Hey Dean?" Sammy asks, looking up at his brother through his overly-long bangs.

"What's up Sammy?" Dean asks.

"Do we have a mommy?" Sammy asks.

Dean feels shocked that his brother's asking about this already. He'd hoped to not be the one Sammy asked. It makes sense that Sammy would ask because the kid picks up on everything. Dean just wishes Sammy wouldn't have asked because thinking about their mom hurts _so much._

"Yeah." Dean says in a choked voice.

"Why does our mommy not like us?" Sammy asks quietly, feeling his brother's unease.

Dean feels like he's been hit. "Why would you even think that?" Dean asks in a harsher tone than he intended.

Sammy winces at the tone and stares at the floor. "Well, she isn't here. If she loves us then where is she?" Sammy whispers.

Dean looks at the ceiling, fighting tears as he wishes their dad were here to explain this stuff to Sammy. Their dad isn't here though; he's saving the world from monsters so Dean needs to man up and take care of Sammy. Dean sits beside his little brother and puts an arm around his shoulders. Sammy looks up at Dean with wide eyes dripping with tears.

"Listen Sammy, it's not that our mom doesn't love us. She does. I promise. She just...can't be with us." Dean tries to explain.

"Why not? Did we do something bad?" Sam asks, looking confused.

"No buddy. We didn't do anything wrong. She's just...she's with the angels." Dean explains, remembering how their mom used to tell him that every night.

_Angels are watching over you._ Mary's voice plays in her oldest son's mind.

"Will she ever visit us?" Sammy asks.

"No, but she's watching over us. Just like the angels. They're all in Heaven together." Dean says, not sure if he believes it himself.

Sammy smiles at Dean's words and snuggles up against his brother. "We must have the best mom in the world then. Too bad I don't remember her." Sammy says sleepily.

Dean rubs his little brother's back as the youngest Winchester drifts off to sleep and it's not until Dean's sure that Sammy's asleep that he lets the tears escape his eyes, dripping painfully down his face.

Castiel watches and feels compassion for the young boy who carries more weight on his shoulders than John does. Dean has to take care of Sam even though he's still just a child himself. It seems cruel for John to leave his sons like this. Of course, John's cause is a noble one so it's hard to consider the man wicked when he does so much good for the world-just not for his two sons.


	6. Age Twelve

Eight year-old Sammy scrambles out of the school with three bigger guys on his tale. Twelve year-old Dean approaches the group and Sammy runs straight to Dean.

"Hey! Get back here you!" One of the bullies demand.

Dean separates Sammy from the bullies and says, "Leave him alone."

"Beat it squirt." The tallest kid laughs.

Dean takes him down first, then he beats the crap out of the next guy. Dean looks at the last guy and he just runs away...after wetting himself.

"No worries Sammy. Nobody's gonna mess with you when I'm around." Dean promises his younger brother, grinning broadly.

Sammy looks up through his unruly mop of dark hair and asks, "Promise?"

"I promise." Dean smiles.

Sammy hugs Dean with all his might and Dean breaks his personal space rules just for Sammy.

Castiel wonders how one child can act as parent, protector, best friend and brother better than many adults can be one of those things.

"He and his brother have a unique bond. Perhaps in time you'll understand." Anna says.

Castiel looks at Anna and sees that her eyes are filled with longing at the sight of those boys. Castiel looks back at the humans and wonders if perhaps they are more important than he realizes and there's more to them than their purpose for the greater good. After all, how could these two be expected to fight to the death against each other?


	7. Age Eighteen

Eighteen year-old Dean sits in the waiting room, anxiously waiting for his dad to come back and tell him what the doctors said. He's waiting for him to tell him how Sammy's doing. Sammy, who just turned fourteen last week. Sammy, who was thrown into that stupid tree. Sammy, who wouldn't open his eyes even when Dean screamed and begged. Sammy, who Dean thinks might die. Sammy, who can't die because Dean will have no purpose, no one to take care of, he will have failed Dad, Mom's sacrifice will have been for nothing, but worst of all, if Sammy dies then that means Dean broke the promise he made to Sammy all those years ago. He can't die. He just _can't_.

John walks into the waiting room and frowns when he sees the tears gathered in his eldest son's eyes. He's a man now, he shouldn't be crying. It's his fault anyway. He only gave him one job: watch his brother. Dean nearly failed.

Dean looks up at his dad anxiously, ready for his hero to tear him down and make him feel lower than he already does. When his dad doesn't say anything, panic rises in the young hunter. Is Sammy dead? Is that why his father won't speak to him?

"Sam is going to make it. He took an exceptionally hard hit to the head." John begins.

Dean can tell that there's more his dad wants to say but right now he doesn't care. Sammy's alive. Sammy's going to be okay. Now Dean knows that _he_ will be okay too.

"Dean, you know you should have watched him better." John starts but is interrupted by a doctor.

"Samuel Winston has woken up. He wants to talk to someone named Dean?" A nurse says uncertainly.

Dean practically leaps out of the chair. "That's me. I'm his brother." Dean says.

"Okay, right this way." The nurse says.

They stop at a room at the end of the hall. "Here we are." The nurse chirps.

Dean enters the room and his world nearly shatters when he sees his baby brother lying in the hospital bed with a giant bandage on his head. Tears of shame and guilt fill the older brother's eyes but he blinks them back, refusing to be so weak in front of his brother. Sammy needs him to be strong.

"Dean?" Sammy asks.

"Hey Sammy." Dean says, sitting in the uncomfortable chair by the bed.

"It's Sam." Sammy says with a slight scowl.

Dean smiles, immensely happy that he can see Sammy scowl again, see him okay, alive, not dead.

"You okay?" Sammy asks.

"I'm awesome. You?" Dean replies.

Sammy grins and points at the bandage. "I think I'm way more awesome than you." He says.

Dean blinks, getting hit with the guilt again and looks away for a moment before putting his game face back on.

"Of course you are kiddo. And you're gonna be just fine." Dean says.

"Dad's mad isnt he?" Sammy asks with a frown.

Dean nods in confirmation.

"I'm sorry." Sammy says quietly.

"What do you think you did wrong?" Dean asks.

"I got hurt and now Dad's blaming you for it and even worse, YOU'RE blaming you for it. It's not fair to you."

"I am at fault. There was a lapse in my attention and the next thing I know you're flung into a tree. That doesn't sound like I did a good job watching out for my brother does it?"

Sammy gives him a defiant look. "You don't need to watch out for me so much. I'm not a baby."

"I will always watch out for you Sammy. Whether you like it or not." Dean says with a smile.

Castiel feels confused by the interaction. Why is the older one so intent on taking the blame away from his father and brother? Why must he shoulder all the weight?

"It's love Castiel, Dean Winchester loves his family so he carries the pain so they don't have to." Anna explains.

The way she says it makes it seems like such a simple thing but to Castiel it's a profound statement that he can't quite wrap his head around.


End file.
